Bulgaria energy mix & electricity
Electricity generation in Bulgaria reached 38 TWh in 2025. The biggest single contributor is nuclear power with 39.1%; coal adds 22.5% and solar power 18.2%.
Electricity generation by source in 2025
Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.
| Source | TWh | Share | 10-yr Δ pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 14.85 | 39.1% | +7.5 |
| Coal | 8.55 | 22.5% | −23.7 |
| Solar | 6.89 | 18.2% | +15.3 |
| Hydro | 2.53 | 6.7% | −4.9 |
| Gas | 1.85 | 4.9% | +1.1 |
| Bioenergy | 1.71 | 4.5% | +4 |
| Wind | 1.32 | 3.5% | +0.5 |
| Oil | 0.26 | 0.7% | +0.3 |
| Total | 37.96 | 100% |
Bulgaria: electricity in context
Electricity generation in Bulgaria reached 38 TWh in 2025. That puts it in the same league as Bahrain. The biggest single contributor is nuclear power with 39.1%; coal adds 22.5% and solar power 18.2%.
32.8% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 86th of 158 countries. That is almost exactly the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Europe (41.6%). The EU-27 average is higher, at 47.7%. Add nuclear power (39.1%) and low-carbon sources reach 71.9% of generation. Generating one kWh emits about 276 g CO₂e here (world average: 458 g). That makes the grid comfortably cleaner than the global average. In the cleanest-grid ranking, Bulgaria is 57th of 158.
Over the past decade solar power added more generation than any other source (+5.5 TWh since 2015, plus 15.3 percentage points of share). The biggest decline came from coal (−14 TWh). The net effect: renewables gained 14.8 percentage points of share since 2015. Total generation shrank by 10.8 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 495 to 276 g/kWh, a 44% cut.
The coal phase-down is well under way: 46.3% of generation in 2015, 22.5% by 2025. In absolute terms, coal generation peaked in 2011 at 27.5 TWh and has since fallen 69%.
Solar (18.2%) and wind (3.5%) now add up to 21.6% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Per person, that is 1,026 kWh of solar electricity a year, 3× the global average. In solar electricity per person, Bulgaria ranks 12th in the world. Wind adds 197 kWh per person. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2012.
Generation per person is 5,653 kWh a year, 1.5× the world average of 3,860 kWh. More power leaves the country than arrives: a net 1.4 TWh of exports, equal to 4% of domestic demand.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 1990. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
Bulgaria against the world, Europe and EU-27 averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 16.4% of primary energy and fossil fuels 63.3% (2024). Per person, that is 28,382 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in Bulgaria
The 43 power plants recorded in Bulgaria add up to 9.3 GW of capacity, 53% of it Coal. The largest is KOZLODUY at 2,000 MW. The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.
Largest power plants
| # | Plant | Fuel | Capacity MW | Commissioned | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KOZLODUY | Nuclear | 2,000 | — | — |
| 2 | Maritsa Itzok-2 power station | Coal | 1,602 | 1979 | TEC Maritsa Iztok 2 EAD |
| 3 | Maritsa Itzok-3 power station | Coal | 908 | 1980 | Contour Global Maritsa Iztok 3 AD |
| 4 | PSCHAIRA GEN | Hydro | 864 | — | — |
| 5 | AES Galabovo | Coal | 670 | 2011 | AES |
| 6 | Bobov Dol power station | Coal | 630 | 1974 | Energia MK |
| 7 | PSBELMEKEN | Hydro | 375 | — | — |
| 8 | Brikel power station | Coal | 240 | 1961 | Brikel EAD |
| 9 | SESTRIMO | Hydro | 240 | — | — |
| 10 | RUSE | Coal | 180 | — | — |
| 11 | Deven power station | Coal | 174 | 2009 | Deven AD |
| 12 | SVETI NIKOLA | Wind | 156 | — | — |
| 13 | PESHTERA | Hydro | 135 | — | — |
| 14 | MOMINA KLISU | Hydro | 120 | — | — |
| 15 | Maritsa 3 power station | Coal | 120 | 1971 | TEC Maritsa 3 AD |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 43 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Bulgaria
509 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 3.5 GW of solar and 608 MW of wind operating, plus 2.6 GW under construction or planned.
How does Bulgaria compare?
Bulgaria next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.
| Country | Renewable % | Low-carbon % | Fossil % | gCO₂/kWh | kWh / person | Generation TWh | Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 32.8% | 71.9% | 28.1% | 276 | 5,653 | 38 | — | |
| Türkiye | 43.3% | 43.3% | 56.7% | 475 | 4,036 | 354 | Compare | |
| Greece | 49.7% | 49.7% | 50.3% | 315 | 5,863 | 58.3 | Compare | |
| Romania | 47% | 67.5% | 32.5% | 251 | 2,634 | 49.8 | Compare | |
| Serbia | 27.8% | 27.8% | 72.2% | 696 | 5,475 | 36.6 | Compare | |
| North Macedonia | 47.2% | 47.2% | 52.8% | 441 | 3,760 | 6.8 | Compare | |
| Montenegro | 75.6% | 75.6% | 24.4% | 264 | 3,888 | 2.5 | Compare | |
| Europe average | 41.6% | 62% | 38% | 271 | 6,203 | 4,626 | Compare | |
| European Union (EU-27) average | 47.7% | 71.1% | 28.9% | 210 | 6,230 | 2,797 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Bulgaria
Bulgaria energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Bulgaria is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Bulgaria?
How clean is the electricity in Bulgaria?
Does Bulgaria use nuclear power?
How much electricity does Bulgaria use per person?
How much solar power does Bulgaria produce?
Does Bulgaria import electricity?
More countries in Europe
Sources & references
- Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
- Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
- World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity
Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2025. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.